Copernicus Sentinel-2 improves observations of lakes and water bodies

16 April 2019

The complete drying-up of Lake Aculeo in Chile was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, enabling scientists to follow the water surface extent at high frequency, and thus witness this dramatic loss.

In just three years, the Aculeo Lake, near Santiago de Chile, has completely disappeared, victim of a persistent drought and overconsumption of water. The times series from the Sentinel-2 satellites of the European Union's Copernicus Programme made it possible to observe the lake's declining water level until it fully faded.